Progress and Permits

Spring is unfolding at the lake and as the weather gets warmer and the ice gets thinner, the build project is also heating up.

Progress!:
Buddy demolition phase is under way!  After quotes of $1,000 + from local professionals to remove it, we put this ad in craigslist:

Basically we offered Buddy the trailer for free for the scrap metal, so long as it gets completely cleared from the property.

The ad was placed at 9 p.m. and by the next morning we had over 50 responses.  Amazing that over 50 people were willing tear it down and sift through the rubble for scraps of metal to turn in for cash. We picked the first email that emphasized "cleanness" of removal, met them at the lake and told them they could have the scrap, and an extra $200 if the job was done and the site was clean in 2 weeks.  Its been a week and here is what Buddy looked like 2 days ago:

More Progress:

• Foundation contractor -- secured. 
• Surveyor -- secured and survey scheduled ($600 vs the original quote of $3,000)
• Land use evaluation from the Health Department -- complete. 
• Permits for well and septic -- done! (in the mail)

Treasure hunting:

After months of "window shopping" at second-hand locations and heroically resisting untold deals of the century, we broke down and got a whole set of kitchen cabinets at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Let the hunt begin!

These are for sure not the "cabinets of our dreams," but they are great quality and about a quarter of the cost of new ones, which falls in line with the foundational goal of getting done with the build and in a new mortgage ASAP while going second hand where possible to save cost.  Here they are:

Next steps:

We are still deeply in the land of permits. After lots of phone calls, it appears that these are the most immediate steps we need to take to be ready to break ground by mid-May:

1. Get the survey done
2. Get Buddy and all his pieces completely off the lot
3. "Stake out" the build
4. Secure a "zoning permit" from the township
5. Take zoning permit, well/septic permit and blueprints to the county inspector to apply for a building permit
6. Cut down any trees and prepare the lot
7. Once the permit is in hand, give the green light to the foundation contractor and the excavator, and the building begins. 

All that before one shovel hits the ground.  Funny how my daydreams of building the cabin revolved around sounds of hammers and power tools, the smell of fresh saw dust, and ending long sunny days in jovial debates about aesthetics vs utility over cold beers and hot bowls of chili.  These visions never included the months of tedious paperwork, phone calls, research, and estimates leading up to that point.  We are currently managing 7 relationships before hammer has met nail:  surveyor, foundation contractor, health department evaluator, excavator, township inspector, county inspector, demolition crew.  

Its one thing certainly to "self build" , but we are also "self-financing", so, no loans.  Every expense comes out of pocket and our margin is razor thin. Every penny counts against a hard-fought personal savings,  which makes each decision hyper-critical, requiring loads of research, conversations, multiple quotes and tons of "head space".   This build has already tested my project management skills to the max, especially since we went into this knowing absolutely nothing about building a house!

Finally, before we gave the okay to tear down the trailer, we saved a few mementos from Buddy including this manufactures name plate:

Hopefully we will find just the right spot for it in the cabin to remind us not only of the lemon we will hopefully turn into lemonade (spiked with vodka!), but also the pennies pinched, the help and good fortune received, and the moment almost 6 years ago when we bought the land -- the one with the damp/moldy 1960's trailer and broken well -- because we were in love with the dream of what we might turn it into someday.

Thanks for reading. 

Sarah